• Place the interests of the service users first• Check your agency’s policy where available• Assess the situation for initial response and appropriate intervention• Ask yourself: is it urgent or non-urgent?• Investigate and gather all relevant facts• Consider all possible intervention strategies to stop abuse – from supportive to restrictive• Consider positive and negative outcomes of all intervention strategies• Respect confidentiality and understand its limitations o Inform the older person of your concerns• Inform the service users of their right to an independent advocate of choice (example ARAS)• Inform the service users of your duty of care and obligations towards them in your settling• Establish the wishes and mental capacity of the service users to make decisions and/or to self advocate• Encourage and assist the older person to make their own decisions if they have mental capacity. Refer to duty of care and consent to act sections.• Focus intervention strategies on what the older person wants• Record actions to be undertaken by care staff in the older person’s care plan.• Complete any documentation required under the organisation’s policy• Provide support to the care staff involved in implementing any action plans